Ch 28: The Untrustworthy Meal

The forest Astasha stood in was not one she was familiar with. The trees were dark and cold, an eerie breeze blowing through the creaking old branches. It felt ancient, evil, a forsaken place of death and anger.

Astasha didn't dare to breathe or move. There wasn’t a sound but that of the leaves moving in the wind.

Where was she? What was happening?

'Astasha.' Her name was like a whisper rolled off the tongue of the air itself, surrounding her, filling her like ice. Dread settled in her stomach.

Risking a glance around, she tried to use her power to sense where the voice had come from, but she was frozen, her magic stuck in her veins, unable to be pulled forth.

'The time is coming. Here begins the rise of the new, and the burning of the old.'

Astasha's heart was hammering in her chest. The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. She couldn’t tell if it was female or male, old or young, near or far. It ran through her, sending chills over her body.

'Astasha.' It called her name again. 'Embrace what is to come.'

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Astasha bolted up in bed, drenched in sweat, her heart racing. The forest, the voice… Had she been dreaming? It sure as hell hadn't felt like a dream.

A loud knock on her door made her jump, her hands throwing up a protective barrier.

"Sorceress Astasha? I have the herbs you requested." It was Bryn.

Astasha took a deep breath and slowly lowered the barrier. It was just a dream. Still, she couldn’t seem to shake the sense of foreboding that had settled deep in her stomach.

She looked up at the hole in the ceiling to see that it was dark outside, the moon in the sky. How long had she been asleep? It couldn't have been that long if Bryn was just now arriving for his watch, but it was enough for her to have fallen into such an intense nightmare. A chill caused her to shiver at the thought of it.

“Sorceress?” Bryn was knocking again.

Quickly, she got up off the bed and made her way to the door.

It opened to reveal the earth sorcerer holding a small bowl of salve on a tray with some fruit and cheese on it. “Good evening Bryn.” Astasha said as she looked over the tray in his hands.

“Evening. I thought you might be hungry. You've barely eaten since the Prince returned."

Tasha looked up at the burly man before her and slightly cocked her head. He had never seemed like the caring type, then again, she realized there was so little she knew about him. He had become the Earth Sorcerer to the King shortly after she had been appointed Fire Witch. Always silent and grounded, he was a man of few words and expressions, but obedient and well trained. They had never really spoken outside of their duties. Therefor, his offering seemed odd, yet she was hungry, and nothing energy-wise seemed off.

"Thank you, that was very kind of you." She said as she opened the door further to accept the tray. She was cautious of the barrier, not wishing to bring the wrath of Errant down upon her again.

“Of course. I’ll be here if you need anything." He bowed his head slightly and turned to face the hall.

"Thank you again." she said as she closed the door.

She walked to the small table and set down the tray. He was right, she had barely eaten since Calder had returned and despite the absence of hunger, she knew she needed sustenance. But she also needed to be cautious. It would be so easy for someone to poison or drug her if she wasn’t.

Picking up a piece of fruit, she smelled it, using her skills to detect anything that could be present that shouldn’t be. Nothing but fruit as far as she could tell so she slipped it into her mouth. Slowly, she chewed and swallowed and waited.

Nothing. Grabbing a piece of cheese next, she repeated the process. Again, nothing happened. She was suddenly aware of how hungry she truly was, and it took a great deal of self-restraint to not consume the entire tray as quickly as possible. Erring on the side of caution, she continued this way for the entire meal; smelling, chewing, waiting. It was exhausting and infuriating in so many ways.

Would this be how she lived until the demon was destroyed and the culprit accomplice caught? Always questioning everything and everyone? Living as a prisoner, ostracized and segregated from all she knew and loved? Her own actions and words questioned at every turn? This was no way to live. She needed answers, she needed to feel that she could breathe easy. But how?

The demon knew the answers she sought, yet she was still no closer to finding a way to speak to it. Her mind drifted to Calder for a moment, wondering if he was resting peacefully. Was he able to sleep with all that was happening? She desperately longed to be in his arms, but the ache in her heart forced her to stop where her thoughts were going.

Taking a deep breath she picked up the salve and moved to her desk. Settling herself in, she pulled her dress away from the scar running down her chest.

For all the magic of the world, she hated that there was none known that could heal more than with herbs and simple spells. Magic took energy and an exchange of some kind. Many sorcerers were afraid of the toll that attempting to completely treat a wound would take on the healer, and therefore, the art was limited.

For ages, earth sorcerers had studied that which nature provided for treating all ailments, thus the paste that Bryn had supplied her. But other elements could only do so much. If bad enough, the five could combine their powers to attempt more difficult healings, but none could completely reverse a serious injury or cure the most deadly illnesses. Life was a delicate balance, and death was something necessary. To eliminate it was to throw off that balance and turn the world to chaos. Some sorcerers had tried, there were stories of it, but all had failed, being consumed by their magic, or worse. And so it was labeled as dark magic and banished.

Grateful for any magic that would help with the cut between her breasts, Astasha applied the salve. Luckily it didn't hurt as much as it had before. It was a slow process, but it was getting better. Once she was done, she pulled her dress back into place and stood, determined to keep going with her search for answers.

Suddenly, the world seemed to tilt. She must be exhausted and got up too fast. Astasha steadied herself and tried to move toward her bed, but her vision became fuzzy and everything swayed.

What was happening? She stumbled forward, her hands grasping at something to hold onto. She tried to use her power to discern what was going on but her senses were dulled and her magic subdued.

Everything was becoming blurred.

She had checked the food, it wasn’t possible for it to have been poisoned. And then it dawned on her.

The salve.

She hadn't checked the salve. What was in it? She tried to clear her head, to focus, but the world was spinning and everything was growing dark. No, she had to snap out of it, she needed to get help. Bryn was right outside the door, she needed to get there.

Turning, she tried to get to the door, but she stumbled and her legs gave out, her body falling against one of the chairs in the sitting area.

Using every ounce of strength left, she drug herself across the floor toward the door. Dizziness was consuming her, black spots blinking in her eyes. She was almost there, just a little further.

Her fingers reached up to the handle of the door. The tips touched it and she tried to get a better grasp. Whatever she had been drugged with was taking her, but she fought against it. Finally she got a decent grip and pulled.

She heard the click of the door opening, saw Bryn's face, and then, the darkness took her.